A New Year and Nothing's New
by b-mystique
Summary: "I wonder what the ball is made of? It's so shiny! Ohh, I know!We should steal it!" He was really starting to think that no one understood what he meant by spending the holidays apart.Theteam brings in the New Year together.*Part 2 2012*Parker&the ball. *Part 3 2013* The Ball revisited.
1. Chapter 1

_A\N: _This will be my very first attempt at Leverage. I have fairly recently fell in love with the show and I adore each and every one of the characters so I hope that I do them some justice in my writing, however minute that justice might be. I hope someone out there finds this somewhat enjoyable and I look forward to any reviews I may receive. I find them very helpful. : )

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Leverage or it's characters. If I could, I'd love to own Hardison and Eliot though. Just sayin' ; )

* * *

_**9:30 p.m.**_

He was _really_ starting to think that no one understood what he meant by spending the holidays apart.

He pauses on the spiral staircase, hair disheveled from his umpteenth nap, feet bare on the cold steel step, baggy gray sweat pants and a half buttoned blue pajama shirt hanging loosely from his body. He suppresses the groan of disapproval as the garish sight of what was once his living area assaults his eyes. It looks as if a Party City exploded in the middle of the room as multicolored confetti speckles the floor and silver and black streamers hang from every nook and cranny imaginable.

He doesn't have to be the mastermind that he is to figure out what was going on and who was responsible. "Hardison!" he bellows as he continues down the stairs, swatting at any and every rogue streamer that dare impedes on his path.

" 'Sup?" the hacker replies wide eyed; he tears his eyes away from the giggling blonde long enough to face his leader.

Nate shuffles toward the young man, ignoring the confetti that affixes itself to his feet, and levers him with a glare. "What are you doing here Hardison?"

The young man flashes a crooked grin, and shifts back and forth on the balls of his feet. "Umm, uhh, see what had happen was...P-Parker," he raises a hand to point at the blonde thief who proceeds to bedazzle Nate with confetti, to which Nate studiously ignores. "Parker, never really celebrated New Year's Eve, see, and I-I thought...we thought... we'd throw her a little New Year's Eve Party, right..."

Parker continues to dance around the room in a sequined silver tank top and black skirt...striped New Year's knee socks peeking out from beneath it.. She feigns obliviousness at the exchange between the two men, choosing to toss a handful of confetti over Nate's head instead. She leans in close to his ear, bopping him in the face with her headband with the bobbly "2011" bulbs. "You look pretty now, Nate" she whispers. She nods her head in confirmation and takes off dancing around the room again.

Nate remains where he is standing, unperturbed. He grimaces to himself but knows that due to the little crush Hardison has on Parker, it was no question the kid would do anything for her, and going against that is a losing battle. The dim light from the room bounces off the specks of glitter covering his head. He takes in the sleeping bags and pillows covering his floor. Clearly it was going to be a long night. Blue eyes shift back to his youngest teammate, he narrows them making the hacker chuckle nervously before Nate grunts a short response along the lines of getting a drink.

_**10:00 p.m.**_

He's on his third drink already. It's the only way to drown out the obnoxious music blaring from the speakers of Hardison's laptop, not to mention the squeals of joy coming from Parker. He doesn't flinch when the door slams shut and the wafts of perfume burn his nose.

"Tsk, tsk, oh Nate. Could you've at least waited until the strike of midnight before you started drowning yourself in alcohol? And scotch at that,"

His eyes flicker to his left as he hears the scrape of steel against linoleum, as Sophie pulls out the chair. She sits down beside him in a graceful swoop, a gold silk robe hugs her curves tightly. His eyes linger over the plunging neckline until she clears her throat, calling his attention back to her eyes, where she gives him a knowing smile and a wink.

"So you're here too?" he questions, despite already knowing the answer. He sighs heavily before hovering over his glass, staring off into space bleary eyed.

"Of course. I couldn't possibly leave you alone to ring in the New Year," she replies as if the notion in itself is absurd. His intense gaze meets hers for a brief moment before she turns her head away, a curtain of brown hair shields her face. "And of course, it's for Parker."

He has no time to respond as the hitter barrels through the door, shopping bags in hand. "Dammit Hardison! I can't believe I let y'all talk me into this. All the stores were closed. I had to drive around half the city to find dinner," he growls, simultaneously shutting the door with his foot and dropping the bags on the floor.

Nate shakes his head at the sight, fully knowing that despite Eliot's attempts at being annoyed, he was probably all for spending the holiday with his only friends.

"Hardison?"

"W-what man? I _told_ you pizza! _Pit-zah_! Joey's Pizzeria is open 24/7, 365 days a year! It's not my fault if you didn't listen to me man!" The tall hacker pads into the living area wearing blue footie pajamas, smart-phone in hand.

"D-dude seriously?" Eliot runs a hand through his hair in slight disbelief and then waves at the hacker's attire. "Pajamas with the feet, man? What are you...you like twelve or something?And are those spaceships?"

"Hey, my feet get cold. And I hope you know, these are limited addition Star Wars pajamas. Only two people in the world got these," he mutters under his breath.

"You're going to die a virgin," Eliot mocks him, he shakes his head and toes off his combat boots, chuckling as the hacker fights to come back with a witty comment.

"I think they're kinda cute," Parker observes out loud. She stares between the two men and shrugs.

Eliot shakes his head in annoyance as he glares between the blank faced blonde and the blushing hacker. "Something's wrong with you. _Both_ of you," he punctuates the last statement by jabbing a finger in both their direction before he picks up the bags and heads towards the kitchen.

Nate watches as Hardison and Parker trail behind Eliot, puffs of confetti and glitter flaring up at their feet.

Hardison eyes the grocery bags suspiciously before his wide eyes meet the steely blue eyes of the hitter. "Where's the pizza Eliot?"

The hitter chuckles to himself as he uses a hairband to tie his hair back and wraps a black bandanna around his head. Parker plops down on the stool next to Hardison and peers over the counter at Eliot, anticipating a response.

"I don't have it."

"Aww, c'mon where's the pizza man?"

Eliot flashes a mischievous grin as he pulls out his knives and extracts four live lobsters from one of the bags.

"Seriously man? Aww hell, you _know_ I'm allergic to shellfish!" Hardison gripes. "Do you _want_ me to balloon up? Huh? You want me to get all puffy man?" He puffs his cheeks out for effect before continuing on his tirade. "If my throat closes up or sumthin...d-do you wanna be the one to stick me with the epi pen... in my ass man? In my _ass!_ Nuh uh, neither of us want that!"he shakes his head vigorously eyes getting wider.

"Ooohhh," Parker murmurs as she brings herself level to the counter in order to be eye level with the lobster. She sticks a finger out and pokes curiously at one of the lobsters.

Nate squeezes his eyes shut and throws back the remainder of his beverage. Sometimes he wondered what it would have felt like if he stayed in prison. He imagines he would have had more privacy than he had at that moment.

"Oh Parker, sweetie, don't poke the lobster!" Sophie admonishes from beside him.

He opens his eyes just enough to see Parker poking at the lobster with her finger. Somehow the little rubber bands that would normally be around the lobster's claws had been cut, and the lobster was snapping back at Parker ferociously. Nate squeezes his eyes shut again and prays that he'll pass out before midnight. .

_**11:00 pm**_

So much for passing out.

He sits in the armchair and begrudgingly finishes off the rest of his lobster. He had to admit the meal was good. He gives a hesitant but complimentary nod in Eliot's direction. The hitter has already polished off his lobster and is too busy smirking at the disgruntled hacker to notice anything else. Hardison is sitting on the other end of the couch ramming gummi frogs and a pizza Hot Pocket in his mouth and muttering to himself about not being appreciated. Sophie dabs at her lips and pushes the half finished lobster aside with a content murmur and a pat to her stomach.

"Eeeeee,"Parker squeals, playing with her lobster claw as she mimics the sounds of the lobsters cries from earlier.

Nate shakes his head at the blonde thief and suppresses a smirk of his own at the glint of excitement and happiness in her eyes. It took Eliot twenty minutes to pull her away from the large silver pot on the stove. Most people would be understandably disturbed at the sound of the crying lobsters, but Parker was intrigued and spent the entire time imitating the noises and dancing around a still annoyed Hardison.

"That's not right, man. That just ain't right," Hardison mumbles under his breath at Parker's gleeful squeals.

"Why don't you just do your job and handle the coverage," Eliot grins at the the perturbed Hardison, raising his brow and shooting a expectant glance in the direction of the multiple TV screens.

A handful of gummi frogs pelt him in the face and Hardison lurches over the arm of the couch in an attempt to avoid Eliot's lunging at him.

"Boys," Sophie warns in a bored tone.

"B-but he..." Eliot's aggravated voice trails off, as his eyes narrow at Hardison. "You best hope you make it to the New Year man!" he growls. Everyone knows it's an empty threat.

"Holidays are for love Eliot," Parker says flatly as she sways back and forth between the two boys, knocking them each in the side.

Eliot rolls his eyes and Hardison brings up the TV screens, covering news footage of the ball dropping in London, Sydney, and Tokyo hours before. The other screens respectively tuned into Dick Clark.

"Why are we watching American Idol?" Parker whispers to Hardison.

"It's not American Idol..."

"But it's that guy from American Idol. The one with the spikey hair and crazy white teeth."

"Ryan Seacrest? Yeah, it's not American Idol, Parker."

"Too bad. I kinda like Paula," she replies matter of factly, not noticing the skeptical looks the others throw her way.

"Why does it say Dick Clark if he's not there?" she asks.

"He is there Parker," Eliot mutters in annoyance.

"You mean that statu-"

"Parker!" Hardison interrupts. "Just watch, girl."

"Okay, but this band sucks. Eliot sounds much better," she shrugs. Eliot's lips twitch in a cocky grin.

Nate eyes the champagne and wonders if it's too soon to crack it open and finish it off. Sophie shoots him a knowing glance as though she could literally read his mind. He slouches further in the chair and rests his head on his hand. God help him.

_**Ten**_

"I wonder what the ball is made of? It's so shiny! Ohh, I know!We should steal it!"

Nate shoots Parker a dubious look.

_**Nine**_

Sophie pours the Champagne in the glasses and passes them around. She fills Nate's up to the rim, and he raises his brow skeptically before his lips curl up in a lopsided smile. "Feeling generous?"

"Enjoy it while it lasts, it won't happen again."

_**Eight**_

"W-what? Who poured my orange soda down the drain?" Hardison yelps while begrudgingly accepting his champagne glass. "That ain't right, man. That ain't right."

Eliot chuckles to himself and Nate glares at him.

_**Seven**_

Parker pulls out noisemakers...to Nate's horror.

_**Six**_

Nate shifts his glare to Hardison, who in turn bites his lip and mouths an apology before flashing a sheepish grin.

_**Five**_

Parker bounces up and down on the couch, knocking over the champagne bottle and the remaining champagne.

"Oops!" she giggles.

_**Four**_

Nate emits an impressive growl that would make Eliot proud.

"Nate, man...me and Eliot'll clean it up. I swear!"

"Eliot ain't cleaning up nothing," the hitter scoffs.

"Oh I see how it is man. Just leave me hangin'...'Eliot ain't cleaning up nothing," Hardison mimics Eliot as Parker looks on with a Cheshire cat grin.

_**Three**_

"Aren't we supposed to kiss somebody or something?" Parker inquires in her innocent way. "I guess since you two are closest..." she shrugs looking back and forth between Eliot and Hardison.

"Heyyy," Hardison grins.

Eliot snorts, muttering something about something being wrong with the girl.

_**Two**_

Sophie glides over to the chair Nate is slumped in and leans in close.

_**One**_

"_HAPPY NEW YEAR!_" the team cries out in unison, Nate and Eliot not nearly as enthusiastically as the others.

Sophie's warm lips gently press against his own and he has to admit the year was starting off better than he thought. She pulls away quickly and clears her throat before facing their youngest team members.

Nate chuckles at the sight, Parker slings an arm around each guy sitting beside her and presses her lips to their cheek. She plants one on Hardison first, and the hacker grins a mile wide before she turns to place a chaste kiss on the hitter's cheek. Eliot grumbles his protests but Nate knows it was just for show.

They each grab a glass and raise it up, giving a collective "Cheers" before downing their respective drinks.

_**12:02 a.m.**_

Parker turns to face Hardison, her face slightly covered by the gaudy "2011" glasses she's wearing. "I want to steal the ball next year...so get to working on that." She pauses briefly to toss up the remaining confetti and blow into her obnoxiously loud noisemaker. "I'm _serious_, Hardison!" She narrows her eyes at him, patting his leg before she prances away leaving a speechless Hardison on the couch.

Eliot shakes his head and levers himself off the couch, disappearing into the kitchen. Sophie gathers the glasses from the table and follows him.

Nate sighs as he watches the others disperse into various rooms of the apartment, and the bickering and joking ensues.

It's a new year and yet _nothing _has changed.


	2. Parker and The Ball

_A/N: A little late but I decided to do a companion piece or update on "A New Year and Nothing's New". The Leverage crew is ringing in the New Year 2012 style. I'd love to hear what you guys think._

_Disclaimer: I asked for Hardison and Eliot for Christmas and never got them…so safe to say that Leverage isn't mine. : )_

~o~o~o~o~

_**Of Things That Change And Things That Remain the Same**_

~o~o~o~o~

"No, Parker," Nate sighed in frustration as he adjusted the scarf around his neck.

"But you promised…"she protested with a blank stare.

"_I_ never promised anything," he emphasized as he exchanged a glance with the unusually quiet Hacker standing beside the thief. "Take it up with Hardison."

"Hey man, I never agreed to anything."

The Thief and Mastermind ignored Hardison as they held each other's glare in a challenge.

"Hardison's fine with it," she said smoothly as she studied Nate.

He gave a slight shake of his head but never broke his gaze from hers.

"Hey…Hardison is not…why ya'll even gotta bring me into this!" the Hacker exclaimed.

"I said, _no_, Parker." Nate said firmly his eyes narrowing a bit at his teammate.

"Sophie said it was okay," she shot back, a small grin pulling at her lips as the realization sunk in that she might actually have their Mastermind beat.

"Soph? " Nate attempted to confirm, his head leaning to his left, his eyes never breaking away from Parker's smirk.

"I don't think it's a terrible idea Nate," Sophie cooed smoothly. "It may actually be quite fun." She placed a tanned hand on Nate's cheek and quirked her brow.

Nate sighed. "C'mon guys…I mean really? I said we could go down there and watch. _Watch_! I mean-"

"Nate…" Sophie interrupted smiling coyly at him, her eyes sparkling with humor.

"-We could very well just spend this New Year's Eve apart for God's-"

"_Please_ Nate!" Parker practically begged; her eyes were bright and hopeful. Nate silently damned Sophie for teaching the Thief the art of looking especially imploring and desperate.

"Fine." he grumbled with a flick of his hand as he made his way over to the bar and poured himself a drink.

"Aww, damn," Hardison muttered in slight awe. "I can't believe that worked."

"Ohhh! So we can-"Parker started to ask, as she bounced up in down in the apartment with pure glee in her eyes.

"I said fine!" Nate muttered in defeat as he tried to not glare at a very bemused Sophie. It was after all her fault he was in this mess.

The apartment door swung open abruptly and Eliot trudged through the door with grocery bags in hand. He closed the door behind him, not paying the huddle of his friends in the middle of the living room any mind. He made his way to the kitchenette, setting the grocery bags down, and begin washing his hands and pulling out the ingredients for the night's dinner. The silent standstill that had overtaken the apartment since before he walked in finally hit him and he stopped in the middle of his chopping, flicked the knife around expertly and with finesse so it was no longer facing him, and rubbed his nose with his fist before slamming his fist down against the counter. His steely blue eyes finally looked at the bunch and finally rested on Nate's. He cleared his throat; voice agitated and asked "Alright, what the hell is goin' on in here?"

The huddled group exchanged glances, before facing him, Sophie looked amused, Parker looked mischievous, Hardison was shaking his head and smiling to himself, and Nate just looked…well, defeated.

"Change of plans, Eliot…"Nate sighed.

"What?" The hitter growled, his trademark scowl forming on his face making Hardison softly snort to keep from laughing.

"We're…uhh…doing something a little different this year."

Eliot continued to grimace before it dawned on him where Nate was heading with that. His scowl deepened. "Nate," he warned in a low growl.

"Eliot…I got overruled," Nate responded matter -of-factly as he finished off his drink and eyed Sophie with malice and infatuation.

"We are not gonna-"Eliot bit out, his blue eyes blazing.

"Aw hell, ya'll then lost ya'll everlovin' minds…" the Hacker muttered to no one in particular as he unplugged his smartphone and gathered up one of his many laptops.

"I ain't buy all this food for it to be wasted," Eliot spewed lowly; he waved a hand at the groceries he had bought and his blue eyes blazed again with barely concealed irritation and fury.

"Eliot, we'll all have a nice sit down when we return and we'll all enjoy your lovely meal. Oh-" Sophie stopped abruptly when Eliot narrowed his eyes at her and grunted.

"Eliot, you can cook when we get back," Nate said directly. He scanned the room grabbing his cellphone and shuffled around the room in search of his coat.

"Nate," Eliot growled again, his Southern drawl oozing with barely contained restraint.

"Until then…." Nate started, finally spotting his coat and wrestling to put it on.

"Don't say it, Nate." Eliot threatened at the exact same time Parker all but squealed "Say it!" with that crazed and maniacal look of pure glee on her face. Eliot swore something was seriously wrong with that girl.

"Yeah, I'mma be out warming up Lucile," Hardison remarked, avoiding the furious gaze of his best friend. He grabbed one last cord before grabbing Sophie's hand and heading to the door. "You might wanna come with me, girl."

"Alright everyone," Nate said clapping his hands together. "Let's go steal the ball!" Nate finished with a sigh, just as Hardison and Sophie closed the door.

The clang of metal hitting the wall made Sophie hasten her step, and Hardison's laughter floated back to the apartment as the two hurried off to the garage.

"Don't be mad Eliot," Parker grinned at the slightly shaking Hitter who was a minute away from throwing an adult tantrum. "It'll be fun!"

~o~o~o~

"I can't believe we're doing this," Eliot muttered out loud as he took in the chaos of the crowd around him.

Downtown Boston was overflowing with eager locals and visitors from out of town, hoping to bring the New Year in with the closest thing they could come to Time Square on their budgets. The overcapacity that came with so many bodies being shoved together in a unified solidarity made the usual bone-chilling air somehow more bearable with the heat and warmth the swaying bodies provided. Even so, Eliot pulled the zipper higher up on the security jacket he was wearing and eyeballed the crowd with a grimace. Even when he was playing a different role he always took his job seriously.

"_I know, isn't it exciting!"_ Parker squealed through the comm. _"I mean right now I'm kinda bored but soon we'll have our very own ball!"_

"Bored, girl? Seriously? "Hardison shook his head in wonderment, as he typed on the keypad and hacked into the nearest local news camera, he enhanced the footage and zoomed in on the very top of the highest building in Boston. He finally found Parker perched on top of the ostentatious bright ball several stories up. "Ha, I see ya girl. You don't look bored…you look cold."

"_More like crazy as hell,"_ Eliot muttered through the comms.

"_Cold? Parker, darling, did you remember your earmuffs?"_

"_Sophie, she's not ten. Stop babying her."_

"_Seriously, Mom. Dad. Stop fighting. You'll have my eternal gratitude_."

Giggle snorts erupted through the comm but went unnoticed.

"_Mom and Dad? What-what was that?" _

"_I was just going…for a bit of…it was…hey; it ain't my fault you two bicker like an old married couple."_

"_Uh huh. Don't ever say that again, Hardison. And stop giggling Parker."_

"_Spoilsport."_

"_Old? Do you all think I'm old?"_

"_No, Sophie…no, I said old __**married**__ couple, I didn't mean…Yo, where's Eliot?"_

Eliot shook his head, trying his best to ignore the bickering and chatter in his ear. It was a wonder he hadn't gone insane at this point with all the idle bantering that they all went through regularly. It always played out the same. Hardison put his foot in his mouth, Nate reprimanded, Sophie coddled like a mother hen, and Parker listened on with amusement and laughed obnoxiously in everyone's ear. All he wanted to do was bring the New Year in with peace of mind.

His eye was suddenly caught by slim caramel toned girl with bright green eyes, and long dark hair smiling shyly at him.

"_Eliot, man…you still on?"_

"Eliot are you in position?" Nate asked, he checked his watch and nodded at Sophie who had claimed her spot by the Mayor's side, much to the chagrin of the Mayor's wife.

"_Well, darlin', since you're into it, maybe tonight, after my shift, I'll wear the uniform to your place and we can really bring the New Year end with a bang…" _

"_Dude and they talk about my focus,"_ the Hacker chuckled, as the sound of him tapping on the keyboard and taking swigs of Orange Soda flooded their ears. _"He's in position alright."_

"_What does that mean?"_ Parker whispered as she rocked back and forth on the ball and smiled at the ant-like people below her.

"_What-umm, I'm just sayin'," _the Hacker sputtered over the comms.

"_Is Eliot having sex with that girl?"_ Parker asked innocently.

"_What-umm."_

"_We'll discuss it later, Parker_," Sophie whispered into the comms through the fake smile plastered on her face. She fought off a giggle of her own at Nate and Hardison's relieved sigh at not having to engage in awkward sex questions from Parker.

"_Eliot! _Nate barked into the comm again.

"_A little dancin' maybe and….WHAT?"_ Eliot growled back at Nate, turning his head away from his potential conquest. _"I'm in position!"_

"Good," Nate said smoothly. "We start in a few. And Eliot…really? Dancing? You already had her with the accent and the security badge. Never oversell a sure thing."

"_Shut up_." Eliot growled at Nate. _"And you better too, Hardison, if you wanna make it to the New Year in one piece_," he growled as the Hacker's throaty chuckles echoed in his ear.

"_Hey man, we could have avoided all this if you had stopped flirting long enough to answer me."_

"_Maybe I didn't feel like bailing your ass out with Sophie again."_

"_Alright you guys…the final ten seconds. Let's do this."_

10….9….8…

"Mr. Mayor…a word?" Sophie cooed almost seductively.

7…6…5…

"_Eliot?"_ Nate gasped, almost out of breath.

"_Got you covered, Nate."_ Eliot replied before the wind cut from his running, and a fury of fist meeting skin. Vaguely Nate heard a female voice in awe, and he could practically hear Eliot smirking through the comm. He made a note to talk to him about bringing tag-a-longs.

4…3…2…

"_Hardison, the lights?"_

"_On it Nate,"_ Hardison replied, his fingers flying over the keyboard, his eyes narrowed and tongue sticking out a bit in concentration.

…1…

"_Yipppeeeeee!"_ Parker's yelp was heard through the comms and the others shook their head.

"Happy New Year!" The crowd roared as streamers and confetti were thrown, collective cheers, and hugs, and kisses were shared. Nate stole a kiss from Sophie before they both looked up at the sky, and Eliot was too distracted by the brown-skinned, green-eyed beauty running her hands through his entangled hair, to break away from his kiss long enough to admire the team's handiwork.

The cheers turned into wonderment, confusion, and awe as the large bright, decorative globe was somehow missing. Lights shot out from the bottom of the building up into the sky, where "Happy New Year!" shone brightly along the stars. Firecrackers exploded in hues of blue, purple, green, and orange, and the confusion over the missing ball was temporarily put aside in favor of the grand show of sparkling lights above.

"That's what I'm talkin' bout, right there! We made history right there! Girl, you then did it!" Hardison bellowed as he swung the back door of the van open and hung out, staring up at the sky and fist pumping. He heard Parker's excited giggles ring in his ear.

~o~o~o~

"I hope you didn't have any plans," Nate whispered gruffly in Sophie's ear as he guided her towards his apartment door. It was well past three in the morning and after presumably parting ways with his other team mates and having a late night/early morning stroll and some ice cream he was all prepared to settle down with Sophie and celebrate the New Year as per their newfound arrangement.

"Not at all," she whispered seductively as she batted her eyelashes at him, peeking through her thick lashes with hooded eyes. She initiated a kiss, languid and slow, before pulling away from him despite his protest and leaning up against the door.

It was moments like those when he couldn't help but think of how far they had come. A year prior he and Sophie were still engaged in their game of cat and mouse that had little to no actual payoff. A year ago Eliot would have been reluctant to actually spend a holiday with them willingly…now Eliot was the only one adamant about spending a quiet night indoors versus their quest to steal a ball. A year ago Parker wouldn't have been so willing to pull of such a feat with them at her side. A year ago Hardison would have found something new to complain about. A_ few_ years ago he wouldn't have called these people his friends let alone his family. They wouldn't have called themselves a family either…no shared hugs, and personalized handshakes. No hair tousles and vows to kill others for a team mate. No unwavering loyalty amongst them, no deeply hidden feelings, no nicknames or spending time with one another outside of a job. A few years ago they wouldn't have had any of that. He mused at just how much things have changed.

"Are you alright?" Sophie asked breathlessly as she kissed his neck.

"Fine, "Nate replied, turning the knob and entering the apartment. "What the_ hell_?"

He didn't know how to hide his shock at the large studded ball currently sitting in the middle of his living room. The number 2012 sprawled across the front. The Grifter, due to years of practice and excellence managed to make her initial shock unreadable.

"_Parker_!" Nate bellowed, as the bouncing blonde skipped around whatever room was left in the living room, with her 2012 bulb headband dangling every which way and a mischievous grin plastered on her face. "What the hell did you do to my living room?"

"Girl, I told you he was gonna freak, man," Hardison quipped, his eyes widened at Nate's expression before he broke out into his million watt smile.

Eliot bustled out from the backroom, his jacket in hand, and the brown-skinned, green-eyed, girl holding onto his arm. "Alright, I'm heading out guys."

Nate blinked at the Hitter and his new friend, before staring back at the oversized ball in his living room that everyone else seemed to be ignoring. "How the hell did she get this thing in here? " he wondered out loud as he walked around it before reclaiming his spot next to a bemused Sophie.

"Uhh excuse me, your rudeness, what about our dinner?" Hardison ignored Nate, his attention directed at his friend, as he raised his brow at Eliot. "I'm sure…"he motioned at the girl on his friend's arm. "Excuse me, what's your name?"

"Fionna Monroe," Eliot answered for her, his eyes sparkling a bit. "And you're right, she doesn't mind, but I sure as hell do."

"Well alright then, I can't even get between you and that, man," Hardison said with a grin, he and Eliot exchanged one of their handshakes and he dared to give the Hitter a quick hug, before the Hitter and Fionna headed for the door. A dancing Parker, skipped past the pair, almost colliding with them.

"Happy New Year Eliot, "she sing-songed, "Eliot's sex buddy," she finished, to Eliot's well hidden amusement.

He gave the blonde Thief a quick hair tussle, shaking his head and muttering to his new friend that "something was wrong with that girl", before clapping Nate on the shoulder, and heading out. His throaty chuckles and Fionna's girlish giggles filled the hall as the pair disappeared into the elevator.

"Parker," Nate called again, as she skipped pass them with a smirk. "Parker…" she continued to ignore him. "_**Parker!"**_ He yelled, finally grabbing hold of the blonde by her shoulders.

"Sheesh Nate, you don't have to yell," she said, causing a small chuckle to come from Sophie.

"Why is the New Year's ball in my house?"

"We stole it Nate, where else would it be." She responded innocently.

"I said we could _steal_ it Parker, I didn't say we could _keep_ it." He responded slowly.

"Well that doesn't make any sense. If we weren't going to keep it, you should have said 'borrow' and not 'steal'."

He blinked profusely at the placid faced blonde, unsure of how to respond. He wondered when exactly it was that he started speaking Parker fluently…which was undoubtedly around the same time she actually started to make sense. He couldn't quite argue against the logic. He vaguely heard Sophie snicker into his shoulder as she buried her face in his chest, and Hardison choke after the daunting task of drinking Orange soda while laughing.

"Parker, get it out. _**Now!"**_

"But-"she protested eyes wide in a poor imitation of Hardison's usual pleading face.

"_**Now!"**_ He commanded, rubbing just above the bridge of his nose, surely feeling a migraine coming on.

"Fine." She snapped, not hiding the pout on her face. "Come on Hardison." She grabbed the skinny Hacker's hand and dragged him towards the door. "We'll get it out….tomorrow."

He could feel the heat from Sophie's laughing into his chest and could hear the booming laughter coming from Hardison, as the Hacker and the Thief slammed the door behind them.

He sighed to himself as he exchanged a glance with Sophie, before she headed up the spiral stairs.

Maybe things haven't changed that much after all. It's a new year…and yet, not much is new.

He smiled to himself and slowly ascended the stairs. He's not sure if he's necessarily disappointed about that though.

~o~o~End~o~o~


	3. New Year, New Change

_**A/N:**_ _Words cannot adequately describe how I feel about this cancellation of Leverage. It, to me, was one of the last "feel-good" shows still on air. It provided escapism from the cruelness of reality. It stole all of our hearts and did something that not many shows can do. It gave us hope. The chemistry of the cast was incomparable. Every episode it felt like you were a part of this family and on this journey with them. It was hard to tell where Aldis, Beth, Christian, Gina, and Tim ended and where Hardison, Parker, Eliot, Sophie, and Nate began. That is what made them one of the best casts on television…you could feel the real love and affection that they had for one another through their characters. It made for a magical experience that always, ALWAYS made me smile. I'll miss that most of all. Smiling and laughing so frequently while watching this show. So words cannot fully sum up how much I'll miss the show, how much I'll miss the cast together, and miss the wonderful characters and great storylines. But we got closure, and I'm grateful for that, and it will forever remain one of those shows that I can watch every single episode for the millionth time and enjoy it every bit as much as I did that first time it ever aired. Apologies for the longwindedness. I wanted to keep up the unplanned tradition of the Leverage crew at New Year. I'm thinking of this as taking place before the finale episode, if you want to put a timeframe in here._

_**Disclaimer:**_ _Leverage and its wonderful characters are not mine. Scratch that, I believe that they are mine. They are now all of ours, to do whatever we please and keep the legacy going since TNT abandoned them. In its own way Leverage belongs to the fans now more than ever, but I'm not collecting a paycheck. ;)_

~0~0~0~

"$40 a lb for crab legs?!" Eliot snarled. He ran his hand through his shortened locks; his perpetual scowl deepening with agitation. "You gotta be kiddin' me kid!"

The young man behind the seafood counter barely seemed perturbed by the intimidating Hitter and his imposing presence. His eyes flickered downwards before staring at a spot somewhere behind Eliot. "Sorry dude, that's what the sign says…" he shrugged impassively, oblivious to the way Eliot's eye twitched.

"Dude?!" Eliot all but growled under his breath as he narrowed his eyes at the kid. "Well _dude_," he emphasized sarcastically, "how about you call over your manager."

The kid behind the counter looked up from the cellphone he was fiddling with and sighed, "I am the manager."

"Y-you're the manager? You?" Eliot stared the kid down. He was tall, skinny, and gangly. The kid's Adam's apple was prominent, his muscular definition not fully developed, and Eliot found himself fighting the urge to play whack-a-mole with the smattering of zits across his pasty face. "What are you 10?!"

The kid shrugged and went back to swiping his fingers swiftly across his phone. Eliot exhaled, his eyes narrowed as he tried ignoring the visions he had of shoving the I-Phone and the clusters of crab legs including the claws up the pasty little brat's as-

"Store,"his fist tightening as he slung the plastic bags with the crab legs on the counter. "Store Manager." He ground between clenched teeth. "Now."

The kid rolled his eyes and jerked his thumb in the direction of a plaque on the wall. "Topaz isn't in today. You can send her an email perhaps."

Eliot's eyes flickered to the plaque of a perky blond with braces. If he had to guess, he'd say she was no older than nineteen. He reached for the kid's cellphone, snatching it out of his hand and fisting it in his own. He was just reaching for the kid's collar, somewhat satisfied that the kid was looking rightfully petrified, his orbs widened to the size of saucers, when the Hacker came into view.

"Yo, whoa! Whoa, El! Chill!" Hardison jerked his friend back, ignoring the grimace on Eliot's face that had long since become a permanent fixture. He tugged the mangled phone out of Eliot's hand and slid it across the counter to the kid, flashing his pearly whites in an apologetic smile. "We'll take them kid," he said with a note of humor in his voice as he snagged the bags of crab legs and tossed them into the cart. "Happy New Year!" He shook his head as they walked away from the counter, Eliot growling as he headed towards their cart.

"I ain't paying for those," Eliot grumbled as he nodded towards the bags in Hardison's hand. "That's highway robbery! And who names their kid Topaz?" he spit out venomonusly. "How old do you have to be to work in this place? Managers aren't even old enough to wipe their own-"

**_"Eliot, dear, you can afford it. No need to be an ogre about it."_** Sophie's voice rang through the comms.

"It's the principle, Soph" he muttered as he stopped abruptly in front of a shopping cart before glaring at the back of Hardison's head.

"**_You mean Eliot's Shrek?"_**

"I'm not an ogre!"

**"_Sure, Uh Eliot, while you're out, some of that Bourbon that I like."_**

**"_There's Bourbon behind the bar, Nate,"_ **Sophie sighed exasperatedly.

**"_Not the kind I like."_**

**"_I stashed it behind the…"_**

Eliot tapped at his comm, drowning out the chaos in his ear. He dug through what used to be their cart, pulling out a plethora of frozen pizzas and ten two liters of Orange soda. "Dammit Hardison!"

Hardison jogged towards Eliot, his mouth crammed full of the samples he snagged from the little stand at the end cap of an aisle.

"What the hell is all this crap?!" Eliot gestured towards the cart as he levered his friend with a glare.

**"_Eliot!"_** Parker's perky voice came through the comms, as both men ignored it.

"It's food. Pizza, man. And soda, you know I need my orange soda in order to function. Some gummi-frogs-"

_**"Elllllliot!"**_

"Dammit Hardison! You were the one who begged me to cook a New Year's meal for the restaurant and now you're stocking up on this crap?"

"W-what, man, dude, chill okay? A man's gotta have options!" The Hacker replied, his big, bright eyes shining with amusement.

**_"El-i-ot!"_** the Thief barked.

"Options?! How about I give you the option of dying in 2012 or 2013!"

"C'mon man, you a little tense. You need to relax, maybe go to the gym-

_**"Eliot-Eliot-Eliot-ELIOT!"**_

"-work out a little of that pent up frustration," Hardison continued boxing at the air in demonstration before playfully jabbing Eliot in the shoulder. "You haven't punched anyone in a while, is that it? Yeah, that's definitely it."

"You ain't gon make it to the New Year bubba," Eliot grumbled, but Hardison's goofy grin was infectious enough to take the heat out of his words.

**_"ELLLLLIIIIIOOOOOTTTT!"_** Parker sing-songed into the comms, her voice five octaves higher than usual.

"WHAT?!" Eliot shouted.

It appeared as though all the bustling around them had come to a complete stop. He and Hardison had more than a few glares directed at them. The security guard eyed them suspiciously, and the little old lady who was trying to reach something on the top shelf nearly jumped out of her cardigan. "Sorry about that ma'am," he drawled playing up his Southern charm. He forced out a smile and reached above her to snag the jar of tomato sauce she was reaching for, and placed it gently in her cart. She gave him a hesitant smile, patting his arm gently in thanks, before slowly wheeling down the aisle, the squeaking of her cart the equivalent of nails on a chalkboard.

"What do you want Parker?" Eliot snarled into the comms, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible and ignore Hardison's full blown laughter beside him.

**_"Don't forget the-"_**

**_"What the…PARKER!" _**Nate's voice bellowed, loud enough to make Hardison and Eliot wince from the feedback on the comms.

**_"Uh, nevermind,"_** she said quickly before tapping out.

"She then got into the chocolate again,"Hardison sighed. "I told them not to let her in the kitchen this early." He shook his head and crammed the last of his handful of samples into his mouth. Staring at the empty toothpick forlornly before meeting Eliot's irritated blue eyes. "Hey El, ya think we can get some of these little squishy things?"

"Something is wrong with y'all," Eliot muttered, choking back the laughter threatening to break through as he shook his head over his crazy friends.

"It's called love, brah," Hardison quipped with a half smirk.

"Whatever."

~0~0~0~

Eliot finally abandoned the kitchen, after hours of sending out dish after dish with the support of his kitchen staff. He slid into the restaurant area and sat at their usual place, taking in the sights. The place was filled with regulars who had nothing better to do to bring in the New Year and a slew of newbies who wanted someplace to drink and have a good time. Hardison slid into the seat next to him and passed him ale.

"New Year's special. Made my own brew just for the holiday."

"Hardison, you can't just-"

"Geez El," Hardison cut him off, "just try it!"

Eliot shook his head before taking a long pull on the beer, pleasantly surprised by the unusual blend. "This is actually quite good," he said after a bit.

"I know right?!" Hardison replied, practically beaming. It was no secret between the two of them that despite all of their bickering, the opinion and respect of the other actually meant a great deal to them.

Eliot finished off the beer and requested another. He and Hardison exchanged one of their signature handshakes before he slapped his friend on the back. "My man."

Nate plopped down across from the two and snagged Eliot's freshly replaced beer before Eliot had the chance to even reach for it. He chugged it down and ran his hand through his dark hair with a heavy sigh.

A knowing look washed over Hardison as his bright eyes met Nate's and he asked "Where's Parker?"

Nate grunted and jerked his head in the direction of the large studded ball that took up half the room on the other side of the bar.

"What the-"Eliot muttered

"Hell?" Hardison finished for him, as they watched the blonde Thief accompanied by an amused Sophie, skip over to them and slide into their respective seats.

"We couldn't steal another year," Parker said solemnly as her brown eyes met Nate's. "So I figured we could still have the ball."

"The ba-" Hardison shook his head as he stared disbelievingly at the studded ball that was being danced around by the customers. "The ball. _THE_ ball? The one we borrowed last year?" He sputtered.

"Stole," she corrected with a mischievous smirk.

"H-how, girl, how'd you even get that thing in here?"

"In here," Eliot levered the Thief with a glare. "How'd you get that thing to Portland?"

"I think it's quite festive," Sophie offered giving the Thief an amused smile. "If we're going to bring in the New Year here in Portland, the least we can do is have a ball."

"I can think of other ways to bring in the New Year," Nate murmured into Sophie's ear, his warm breath tickling the shell of her ear.

"Eww, y'all nasty," Hardison pointed at the pair of them.

"Like you can talk," Nate shot back, his eyes never leaving Sophie's.

Parker giggle-snorted, arching a brow at Hardison, and Eliot chuckled. His eyes strayed toward the door where his new friend waltzed in, waving in his direction.

"Well now, I'll get the champagne," Sophie said softly as she pecked Nate on the lips before slipping away into the kitchen.

"Hey Hardison, why don't you make yourself useful and set up the projector screen," Eliot snickered as he got up from the table and begin heading towards his friend.

"Hey El, why don't you kiss my-Ow!" he yelped as Eliot smacked him in the back of the head. Eliot's throaty chuckles set off Parker's giggle-snorts.

"You're getting better at that," Eliot grunted as Hardison landed a playful punch to his gut. "Not quite as good as Parker or Sophie though." He didn't bother hiding his laughter at Hardison's disgruntled expression.

"Boys!" Sophie admonished from the kitchen, her eyes glinting with humor.

Nate noted that she always got a maternal streak around the holidays, especially when she had a drink or two. He smiled in her direction.

"When you do it, you make sure you say the words," Parker's voice broke through his thoughts as he turned to face her.

He met her perceptive gaze. He always found himself seeing glimpses of Sam when he looked at Parker and Hardison. Hardison's bright eyed innocence and "goodness" always shone through and it reminded him so much of his son. But for Parker, her hidden intuitiveness is what sparked memories of his son. Her mischievousness was misleading, on the surface she appeared aloof, even now with her hair falling around her shoulders, the shirt with a penguin wearing a New Year's hat and the 2013 bobbly headband she was wearing, she appeared the epitome of childlike, but she always knew things, seen the deeper meaning behind them, and what was below the surface. Neither of them spoke for a bit, she just gave him a coy smile and he in turn smirked at her and sipped from his mug of beer.

"I keep feeling like this is the last time we'll get to really bring in the New Year together," Parker said quietly. "I feel like everything is changing."

Nate eyed the "mid-kid" for a long moment. She studied him back, gave a slight smirk that was eerily similar to his own. Out of them all, she seemed to be the one that picked up the most mannerisms and traits of the rest of them. He found it intriguing and amusing all at once.

"The important things won't change," he whispered, so quietly he wasn't even sure if she could hear him. He braced himself for the usual Parker questions…but she merely canted her head and gave him a slight grin. He couldn't help but wonder when exactly Parker learned to speak Nate. He reached across the table and affectionately ruffled her hair, before clearing his throat and bringing his attention back to the mug in his hand.

There was a hint of vulnerability in her eyes before she brightened up again. Suddenly that childish grin of hers was gracing her face. She glanced at a watch on her wrist and clapped in excitement. She reached under the table and brought up another bobbly head band with the 2013 bulbs, plopped it on Nate's head while smacking his hands away, and skipped off to plug in the giant New Year's ball in the middle of the floor.

Nate shook off the discomfort he felt from the conversation with Parker, just as the others slid into the booth. Eliot's friend joining them, smiling shyly at the gang, her dark hair falling into her face and covering up the light blush on her cheeks.

The champagne was passed around fifteen seconds before the ball was set to descend. The bar got lively as everyone counted down. The cheers were deafening as party favors were blown, and confetti was tossed into the air. Nate pulled away from a searing kiss with Sophie in time to see the Hacker and Thief wrapped up in one another kissing and laughing, and the Hitter whispering something in his lady friend's ear.

"Happy New Year, everyone!" Parker called out. Eliot placed a kiss on her forehead and chuckled. Nate and Hardison shared a hug, and Sophie reached across to squeeze the Hitter's hand affectionately.

"Alright, alright, let's have a toast," the Hitter drawled, gracing everyone with one of his rare smiles. "Glasses up everybody," he waited until everyone shuffled around before raising their glasses up. "To a prosperous New Year," he said with a wink. Everyone murmured their concurrence and were about to clink glasses until Parker interrupted.

"To surviving the Apocalypse…again," she added with a grin.

Hardison shook his head, "To family…"

"To family!" they said in unison as they all clinked their glasses and delved into their usual bantering and talking over one another.

"To family," Nate whispered quietly as he hugged Sophie closer to him and smiled fondly at his "kids". "Forever and always."

Nate looked around the table at all the smiling faces and merriment amongst his family. He used to think that despite the New Year, nothing was ever really new amongst them. He realized that he was wrong. Parker was right; everything was changing, and had been for quite some time. One thing he knew for certain, however. Despite their lives ever evolving, the one thing that would never change was the love, the experiences, and the bonds that they all had with one another.

"Parker, dear, what…what is that?" Sophie asked suddenly, eyeing the 38 oz cup of chocolate and coffee goodness that Parker was pouring half a canister of sugar in.

"White chocolate espresso with milk chocolate shavings!" she said nonchalantly. "Jeremy in the kitchen let me have one.

"Aw hell," Hardison sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"I'm gonna kill 'em," Eliot said lowly, the barest hint of amusement in his piercing blue eyes.

Parker merely shrugged before rising from the table and bouncing away, chugging on her highly caffeinated beverage. The boys and Eliot's friend were in tow, following Parker into the kitchen, and most likely plotting some leverage of their own on Jeremy the sous chef.

Nate shook his head and smiled at Sophie. Endings and new beginnings aside, maybe some things wouldn't change afterall.


End file.
